Citrus made easy for growers, nurseries, and distributors

“Cocktail grapefruit” (often sold as Mandelo) is not a true grapefruit. It’s a pummelo × mandarin hybrid, specifically Siamese Sweet pummelo × ‘Frua’ mandarin, created at UC Riverside. UCR lists it as a “Cocktail pummelo hybrid,” and notes it was never officially released and likely “escaped” into the trade—hence the confusing “grapefruit” name.By contrast, true grapefruit is Citrus × paradisi (sweet orange × pummelo). That’s a separate hybrid lineage from Mandelo.

Cocktail grapefruit trees are typically harvested from late October through March, depending on location and climate. In California’s citrus regions, fruit can reach marketable maturity as early as late fall and often continues ripening well into early spring. Unlike true grapefruit, Cocktail fruit can be harvested while still green-skinned and will still deliver its signature sweet, low-acid flavor. The peel often remains greenish-yellow even when the interior is fully mature, particularly in warm or coastal growing areas where cool nights are limited. Growers frequently rely on internal maturity indicators—juice content, soluble solids (°Brix), and acid ratio—rather than color alone to determine picking time.

Cocktail grapefruit trees grow best in USDA Zones 9–11, where winters are mild and frost is rare. They thrive in warm, sunny locations with well-drained soil and can also be grown in large containers in cooler zones if protected from freezing temperatures.

A mature Cocktail grapefruit tree is a heavy producer, typically yielding 200 to 300 pounds of fruit per year under good management. In optimal commercial conditions with consistent irrigation and nutrition, well-established trees can exceed 350 pounds annually, producing abundant crops of medium-sized, juicy fruit from late winter through early spring.

TreeSource ships citrus trees nationwide to nearly all U.S. states, with the exception of Florida and Texas due to quarantine restrictions. We operate under USDA and APHIS compliance standards, ensuring trees meet all domestic phytosanitary regulations. While TreeSource primarily serves large-scale growers across the United States, we also supply greenhouse and orchard customers internationally, depending on the import requirements of each destination country. International shipping availability varies and is subject to the receiving country’s plant health and documentation laws, but TreeSource has experience working with global growers and providing the necessary certification and inspection documentation for export when permitted.

All Cocktail grapefruit trees from TreeSource are packaged using methods developed to ensure stability and plant safety throughout transport. Trees are palletized in heavy-duty triwall boxes—reinforced corrugated containers that hold approximately 100 trees per pallet. Each tree is secured upright, with the pot stabilized and the trunk supported to prevent shifting or damage during transit. Shipments are typically loaded into curtain van trucks that provide protection from wind, sun, and temperature fluctuations. This approach keeps foliage intact and minimizes stress during delivery.

TreeSource’s careful packaging process reflects our commitment to quality and consistency. The trees arrive in excellent condition, ready for immediate planting in commercial groves or greenhouse facilities. Combined with TreeSource’s clean-stock propagation and volume-ready fulfillment, the shipping and packaging system ensures that each grapefruit Cocktail tree—whether bound for a regional grower or an international orchard—maintains its vigor, health, and structure from the nursery to its final destination.